Education on Sacred Music

The Second Vatican Council stated in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy that “steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass that pertain to them”. (Sacrosanctum Concilium 54)  The council also reiterated this quote in Musicam Sacram, the council’s definitive document on music in the liturgy.  

Singing the parts of the Mass in Latin helps retain the sacred nature of the Mass since it sets apart a language solely for worship, similar to Jews with Hebrew, the Greek Orthodox with Greek, or Muslims with Arabic.  It also provides a unity among Catholics that transcends time, space, and language barriers, especially since the Church has used Latin for most of its history.  Finally, it is a humble but beautiful reminder that while the Mass is a mystery which our human intellect is incapable of fully comprehending, the liturgy is first and foremost the work of Christ on our behalf and so its efficacy is independent of our intellectual understanding.  Procedamus in pace!